Appeal to save 417 human lives daily, by Making Road Safety a National Priority

~India stands 2nd highest globally in terms of people killed in road accidents~

New Delhi, June 19th, 2018: With a basic aim to save human lives on road, Consumer Voice – a pioneer consumer protection group today organized a workshop to appeal Making Road Safety a National Priority. The initiative focused on the 30 year old Motor Vehicles Act 1988 which require immediate amendment to address tremendous changes in the road safety scenario in India. Led by Member of Parliament, Shri Parvesh Verma, road crashes victims and their families members, Civil Society Organizations, Member of Parliament and partner organizations of road safety coalition highlighted the terrible state of road safety in our country. The participants jointly signed a memorandum to Honble Prime Minister, Honble Vice President, Honble President and Honble Chief Justice of India to make Road Safety as National Priority. The initiative was supported by Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament, Shri Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways highlighted the provisions of the MVA 2017 Bill. Para Olympian, Jagwinder Singh and Singer Kalpana Chauhan along with over 20 victims from across India. Number of people killed in road accidents in India is 2nd highest globally, which is almost 1.5 lakhs per year. This translates into 17 people dying every hour. Another 5 lakhs are seriously injured in road crashes. Road crashes account for more than 44% of all un-natural accidental deaths in India and 51% of all those killed between the ages of 18 and 30.India is signatory to the Brasilia Declaration, thus making a commitment to itself and to the world that it shall reduce death and injury from road crashes by half by 2020. Shri Parvesh Verma, Member of Parliament, stated, “I am the victim and faced the same situation like any other survivor present at the national event on road safety. As you know, my father (Former Chief Minister of Delhi Shri Sahib Singh Verma Ji) lost his life in a tragic road crash. Each and every life is important and we must do everything possible to save. Our Government under leadership of Modi Ji is trying its best for road safety and I am sure that the proposed Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill will strengthen the road safety situation in India. I am joining road crash survivors to appeal our Honble Prime Minister to make road safety as a national priority and get the MVA Bill passed on priority.In the year 1988 total population of India was 83 Crores and in 2017 it was 132 crores. Number of road accident fatalities were 49,218 in 1988 and in the year 2017 road accident fatalities were 1,46,377 but we have same Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 despite tremendous changes in road safety scenario.Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashim Sanyal COO, Consumer VOICE, said, Every crash leaves an indelible scar on the family and the community, but the daily crashes are making society numb and reducing these to just statistics. We have therefore brought together survivors of horrific road crashes and their families to tell their tales along with civil society organizations to join together in our appeal. About Consumer Voice: Voluntary Organisation in Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE) is a pioneer consumer protection group (NGO) based in New Delhi working for consumer-education, a champion of Consumer interests & issues since 1983. Over years VOICE has been representing and protecting consumer interests with at national level with its network partners.